Method of and apparatus for heating fluids



y 9, 1956 M. COLLERATI 2,748,249

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING FLUIDS Filed March 9, 1953 FIG. I

F I G.

INVENTOR MARIO COLLERATI ATTORNEY nite States METHOD OF AND APPARATUSFOR HEATING FLUIDS This invention relates to an electric heater, andmore particularly to an apparatus for heating a quantity of fluid suchas water.

The object of the invention is to provide an electric heater which willefficiently and economically heat a large volume of fluid such as waterin a minimum of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric water heaterwhich is constructed so that the danger of accidental explosions isminimized so that damage to installations or personnel will beprevented.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an electric waterheater which utilizes a stationary body of fluid that is heated, therebeing a tubular conduit immersed in the body of fluid whereby there willbe a minimum amount of electrical energy used in heating the fluid.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electric waterheater which can be installed at any elevation and wherein the electricheater is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the electric waterheater, constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the letter a designates a tank orcontainer which is adapted to hold a quantity of liquid e such as watertherein. Extending through the tank a is a tubular conduit b throughwhich water circulates, and the inlet end for the Water is indicated bythe numeral 1. The outlet end is shown at the top of the coil and theoutlet is indicated by the numeral 2.

Arranged in the lower portion of the tank a is a heat generator and theheat generator 0 includes a plurality of heating elements which areadapted to be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy bymeans of wires 3 and 4. Connected to this circuit is a thermostaticcircuit breaker d which can be adjusted as desired to vary the amount ofheat being supplied.

A valve means is provided for automatically controlling the level ofliquid or fluid e in the tank a, and this valve means is indicated bythe letter f. The valve 1 may be secured within the upper portion of thetank a and the valve 1'' may be actuated by a float member 6 which issecured to a rod 5.

There is further provided a safety valve which is indicated by theletter g. This safety valve g communicates with the interior of the tanka through a pipe 7 and in the event that pressure exceeds apredetermined amount in the tank a, the safety valve g will permit steamto be safely discharged therethrough. A means is provided for mm o ice

indicating the liquid level of the fluid e within the tank, and thismeans comprises a tube h which may be made of any suitable material suchas glass. Arranged below the level indicating tube It is a drain cock iwhich is connected to the lower portion of the tank so that the tank canbe emptied as when the liquid e is to be changed. Also, the drain cock ican be used to empty the contents of the tank when parts are to bereplaced inside of the tank.

The tank a comprises an inner casing 8 and an outer housing 9. A cover10 is mounted on the upper end of the inner casing 8, and a cover 11 ismounted on the upper end of the housing 9. A base 12 closes the lowerend of the housing 9, and a bottom wall 13 is mounted on the bottom ofthe casing 8. The space within the casing 8 is indicated by the numeral14. This space 14 defines the water heating chamber. The letter idesignates a compartment in which is positioned the circuit breaker dand access can be had to the compartment j by removing the cover 12. Thelower end portion of the housing 9 is indicated by the referencecharacter 9a.

There is provided between the casing 8 and the housing 9 and the coverstherefor, a space or cavity which is filled with a suitable insulatingmaterial, and the insulating material is indicated by the numeral 15. Anannular ring 16 supports the insulating material 15 thereabove.

The tubular coil b is preferably made of a material having a high rateof heat conductivity and the inlet end 1 of the conduit b is adapted tobe connected to a duct or pipe 17 which leads from a water feed line.For connecting the end portion 1 to the pipe 17, there is provided astufling box 18, Figures 1 and 2. The outlet end 2 of the conduit b isconnected to a discharge pipe 19 by means of an intermediate couplingwhich includes a stuiiing box 20. The valve device 1 which controls theamount of Water entering the casing 8 is connected to the casing andhousing by a mechanism that includes a stufling box 21, and leading fromthe stufiing box 21 is a tubular pipe 22 which leads from a feed line.

The heat generating mechanism 0 embodies a pair of jackets 23 which aremade of a heat conducting material, and the jackets 23 each includeflanges which may be secured to the bottom wall 13. Positioned withineach of the jackets 23 is a heating unit 24 which may be an electricalresistance wire, and the wires 3 and 4 lead from the resistances 24 to asuitable source of electrical energy. The thermostatic circuit breaker dis electrically connected to the wire 4 and there is further provided amanual circuit breaker 25 which can be used for disconnecting theelectric current when the apparatus is not being used.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided anelectric heater which includes a chamber 14 for holding a charge ofwater e. The valve device insures that the water e will remain at theproper level. When the electric circuit to the heating element 24 iscompleted, the water e will be heated whereby the tubular coil b willalso be heated by conduction. Thus, the water entering the coil bthrough the pipe 17 will be heated and the hot water at the desiredtemperature will be discharged through the pipe 19 in the direction ofthe arrow Fa. The pipe 19 can be used for conveying the hot water to ashower head or any other appliance desired and due to the efliciency ofthe heating apparatus, a plurality of shower heads or appliances can besimultaneously supplied with hot water. The temperature of the waterleaving through the pipe 19 is maintained constant because thetemperature of the water 2 is maintained constant. The water e forfilling the chamber 14 is supplied through the duct 22 and the directionof water through the duct 22 is indicated by the symbol Fb.

The present invention can be utilized in installations of any heightbecause the outlet pressure of the hot water does not depend on gravityand the hot water will be supplied. regardless of the height at whichthe apparatus is installed. Furthermore, there will be no danger ofexplosions since there is only a small quantity of water in the coil 1)so that even if overheating in the coil b does occur, the pressure willbe gradually dispersed in the line whereby the danger of explosion willbe eliminated. As previously stated, the present invention permits thewater circulating through the coil b to be maintained at a constanttemperature since the temperature of the stationary charge e ismaintained at a constant temperature, the charge e acting as a heatingagent for the circulating water so that the circulating water will beheated with a minimum consumption of electrical energy.

in the electric heater of the present invention the water being heatedis moving continually through the coil b and the coil b is heated by acharge or body of water e which is positioned in the tank a. The heatercan be installed at any height and the pressure of the outgoing waterdoes not depend 011 the elevation of the apparatus, but is dependentonly upon the pressure existing in the water line.

The tank can be made of a suitable material such as sheet metal and theheating elements 24 are automatically maintained in operation. Also, theelectric heater has an unlimited capacity since the water to be used iscontinually passing through the tubular coil b.

The letter F indicates the direction of flow of water through the inletpipe 17 to the tubular coil 11.

I claim:

1. A heater for supplying heated liquid under pressure comprising aclosed tank for liquid, a conduit extending through said tank andcommunicating with the interior thereof and adapted to be connected witha supply. of liquid, valve means in said conduit and means responsive tothe level of liquid in said tank to close said valve when the liquidlevel reaches a point in the upper portion of said tank which is spacedfrom the top thereof, heating means extending into said tank for heatingthe liquid therein, said means comprising electric heating elementsadapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, a safety valvearranged in communication with the upper end of said tank at a pointabove the level of liquid maintained in said tank, a continuous tubularcoil positioned within said tank below the level of liquid maintainedtherein and having an inlet and outlet exterior of said tank wherebyliquid may be passed through said coil under pressure and heated by thehot liquid Within said tank, and a drain cock communicating with thelower portion of said tank.

2. A heater as recited in claim 1 in which said safety valve ispressure-responsive and opens when the pressure in the space at the topof said tank exceeds a perdetermined value.

3. A heater as recited in claim 1 in which said tank is constituted by acylindrical body and an upper and a lower cover are secured thereto toform said closed tank.

4. A hea er as recited in claim 2 in which said tank is surrounded by ahousing constituted by a cylindrical body and an upper and lower cover,insulation interposed between said housing and said tank except at thebottom of said tank, said lower cover being removable to permit accessto said lower cover of said tank.

5. A heater as recited in claim 4 in which said heating elements aremounted on the lower cover of said tank and extend upwardly into thelower portion of said tank.

6. A heater as recited in claim 4 in which said housing is spaced fromtank at the lower end oi said tank by an annular ring and saidinsulation is supported by said ring.

7. A heater as recited in claim 2 in which a vertically disposedtransparent tube is positioned exteriorly of said tank and communicateswith said tank at its upper and lower ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,503,972 Berg Aug. 5, 1924 1,522,474 Hostkotte Ian. 6, 1925 1,560,528Baum Nov. 10, 1925 1,907,357 Kovesdy May 2, 1933 2,036,815 Leader Apr.7, 1936 2,081,206 Parker May 25, 1937 2,402,899 Knapp June 25, 19462,590,442 Miller et al Mar. 25, 1952 2,635,173 Radi Apr. 14, 1953

